lay morals-第19部分

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ghbours'　poverty。　　　A　few　shocks　of　logic；　a　few　disclosures　（in　the　journalistic　　phrase）　of　what　the　freedom　of　manufacturers；　landlords；　or　　shipowners　may　imply　for　operatives；　tenants；　or　seamen；　and　　we　not　unnaturally　begin　to　turn　to　that　other　pole　of　hope；　　beneficent　tyranny。　　Freedom；　to　be　desirable；　involves　　kindness；　wisdom；　and　all　the　virtues　of　the　free；　but　the　　free　man　as　we　have　seen　him　in　action　has　been；　as　of　yore；　　only　the　master　of　many　helots；　and　the　slaves　are　still　ill…　fed；　ill…clad；　ill…taught；　ill…housed；　insolently　treated；　　and　driven　to　their　mines　and　workshops　by　the　lash　of　　famine。　　So　much；　in　other　men's　affairs；　we　have　begun　to　　see　clearly；　we　have　begun　to　despair　of　virtue　in　these　　other　men；　and　from　our　seat　in　Parliament　begin　to　discharge　　upon　them；　thick　as　arrows；　the　host　of　our　inspectors。　　The　　landlord　has　long　shaken　his　head　over　the　manufacturer；　　those　who　do　business　on　land　have　lost　all　trust　in　the　　virtues　of　the　shipowner；　the　professions　look　askance　upon　　the　retail　traders　and　have　even　started　their　co…operative　　stores　to　ruin　them；　and　from　out　the　smoke…wreaths　of　　Birmingham　a　finger　has　begun　to　write　upon　the　wall　the　　condemnation　of　the　landlord。　　Thus；　piece　by　piece；　do　we　　condemn　each　other；　and　yet　not　perceive　the　conclusion；　that　　our　whole　estate　is　somewhat　damnable。　　Thus；　piece　by　piece；　　each　acting　against　his　neighbour；　each　sawing　away　the　　branch　on　which　some　other　interest　is　seated；　do　we　apply　in　　detail　our　Socialistic　remedies；　and　yet　not　perceive　that　we　　are　all　labouring　together　to　bring　in　Socialism　at　large。　　A　　tendency　so　stupid　and　so　selfish　is　like　to　prove　　invincible；　and　if　Socialism　be　at　all　a　practicable　rule　of　　life；　there　is　every　chance　that　our　grand…children　will　see　　the　day　and　taste　the　pleasures　of　existence　in　something　far　　liker　an　ant…heap　than　any　previous　human　polity。　　And　this　　not　in　the　least　because　of　the　voice　of　Mr。　Hyndman　or　the　　horns　of　his　followers；　but　by　the　mere　glacier　movement　of　　the　political　soil；　bearing　forward　on　its　bosom；　apparently　　undisturbed；　the　proud　camps　of　Whig　and　Tory。　　If　Mr。　　Hyndman　were　a　man　of　keen　humour；　which　is　far　from　my　　conception　of　his　character；　he　might　rest　from　his　troubling　　and　look　on：　the　walls　of　Jericho　begin　already　to　crumble　　and　dissolve。　　That　great　servile　war；　the　Armageddon　of　　money　and　numbers；　to　which　we　looked　forward　when　young；　　becomes　more　and　more　unlikely；　and　we　may　rather　look　to　see　　a　peaceable　and　blindfold　evolution；　the　work　of　dull　men　　immersed　in　political　tactics　and　dead　to　political　results。

The　principal　scene　of　this　comedy　lies；　of　course；　in　the　　House　of　Commons；　it　is　there；　besides；　that　the　details　of　　this　new　evolution　（if　it　proceed）　will　fall　to　be　decided；　　so　that　the　state　of　Parliament　is　not　only　diagnostic　of　the　　present　but　fatefully　prophetic　of　the　future。　　Well；　we　all　　know　what　Parliament　is；　and　we　are　all　ashamed　of　it。　　We　　may　pardon　it　some　faults；　indeed；　on　the　ground　of　Irish　　obstruction　…　a　bitter　trial；　which　it　supports　with　notable　　good　humour。　　But　the　excuse　is　merely　local；　it　cannot　apply　　to　similar　bodies　in　America　and　France；　and　what　are　we　to　　say　of　these？　　President　Cleveland's　letter　may　serve　as　a　　picture　of　the　one；　a　glance　at　almost　any　paper　will　　convince　us　of　the　weakness　of　the　other。　　Decay　appears　to　　have　seized　on　the　organ　of　popular　government　in　every　land；　　and　this　just　at　the　moment　when　we　begin　to　bring　to　it；　as　　to　an　oracle　of　justice；　the　whole　skein　of　our　private　　affairs　to　be　unravelled；　and　ask　it；　like　a　new　Messiah；　to　　take　upon　itself　our　frailties　and　play　for　us　the　part　that　　should　be　played　by　our　own　virtues。　　For　that；　in　few　words；　　is　the　case。　　We　cannot　trust　ourselves　to　behave　with　　decency；　we　cannot　trust　our　consciences；　and　the　remedy　　proposed　is　to　elect　a　round　number　of　our　neighbours；　pretty　　much　at　random；　and　say　to　these：　'Be　ye　our　conscience；　make　　laws　so　wise；　and　continue　from　year　to　year　to　administer　　them　so　wisely；　that　they　shall　save　us　from　ourselves　and　　make　us　righteous　and　happy；　world　without　end。　　Amen。'　　And　　who　can　look　twice　at　the　British　Parliament　and　then　　seriously　bring　it　such　a　task？　　I　am　not　advancing　this　as　　an　argument　against　Socialism：　once　again；　nothing　is　further　　from　my　mind。　　There　are　great　truths　in　Socialism；　or　no　　one；　not　even　Mr。　Hyndman；　would　be　found　to　hold　it；　and　if　　it　came；　and　did　one…tenth　part　of　what　it　offers；　I　for　one　　should　make　it　welcome。　　But　if　it　is　to　come；　we　may　as　well　　have　some　notion　of　what　it　will　be　like；　and　the　first　thing　　to　grasp　is　that　our　new　polity　will　be　designed　and　　administered　（to　put　it　courteously）　with　something　short　of　　inspiration。　　It　will　be　made；　or　will　grow；　in　a　human　　parliament；　and　the　one　thing　that　will　not　very　hugely　　change　is　human　nature。　　The　Anarchists　think　otherwise；　from　　which　it　is　only　plain　that　they　have　not　carried　to　the　　study　of　history　the　lamp　of　human　sympathy。

Given；　then；　our　new　polity；　with　its　new　waggon…load　of　　laws；　what　headmarks　must　we　look　for　in　the　life？　　We　chafe　　a　good　deal　at　that　excellent　thing；　the　income…tax；　because　　it　brings　into　our　affairs　the　prying　fingers；　and　exposes　us　　to　the　tart　words；　of　the　official。　　The　official；　in　all　　degrees；　is　already　something　of　a　terror　to　many　of　us。　　I　　would　not　willingly　have　to　do　with　even　a　police…constable　　in　any　other　spirit　than　that　of　kindness。　　I　still　remember　　in　my　dreams　the　eye…glass　of　a　certain　ATTACHE　at　a　certain　　embassy　…　an　eyeglass　that　was　a　standing　indignity　to　all　on　　whom　it　looked；　and　my　next　most　disagreeable　remembrance　is　　of　a　bracing；　Republican　postman　in　the　city　of　San　　Francisco。　　I　lived　in　that　city　among　working　folk；　and　what　　my　neighbours　accepted　at　the　postman's　hands　…　nay；　what　I　　took　from　him　myself　…　it　is　still　distasteful　to　recall。　　　The　bourgeois；　residing　in　the　upper　parts　of　society；　has　　but　few　opportunities　of　tasting　this　peculiar　bowl；　but　　about　the　income…tax；　as　I　have　said；　or　perhaps　about　a　　patent；　or　in　the　halls　of　an　embassy　at　the　hands　of　my　　friend　of　the　eye…glass；　he　occasionally　sets　his　lips　to　it；　　and　he　may　thus　imagine　（if　he　has　that　faculty　of　　imagination；　without　which　most　faculties　are　void）　how　it　　tastes　to　his　poorer　neighbours；　who　must　drain　it　to　the　　dregs。　　In　every　contact　with　authority；　with　their　employer；　　with　the　police；　with　the　School　Board　officer；　in　the　　hospital；　or　in　the　workhouse；　they　have　equally　the　occasion　　to　appreciate　the　light…hearted　civility　of　the　man　in　　office；　and　as　an　experimentalist　in　several　out…of…the…way　　provinces　of　life；　I　may　say　it　has　but　to　be　felt　to　be　　appreciated。　　Well；　this　golden　age　of　which　we　are　speaking　　will　be　the　golden　age　of　officials。　　In　all　our　concerns　it　　will　be　their　beloved　duty　to　meddle；　with　what　tact；　with　　what　obliging　words；　analogy　will　aid　us　to　imagine。　　It　is　　likely　these　gentlemen　will　be　periodically　elected；　they　　will　therefore　have　their　turn　of　being　underneath；　which　　does　not　always　sweeten　men's　conditions。　　The　laws　they　will　　have　to　administer　will　be　no　clearer　than　those　we　know　to…　day；　and　the　body　which　is　to　regulate　their　administration　　no　wiser　than　the　British　Parliament。　　So　that　upon　all　hands　　we　may　look　for　a　form　of　servitude　most　galling　to　the　blood　　…　servitude　to　many　and　changing　masters；　and　for　all　the　　slights　that　accompany　the　rule　of　jack…in…office。　　And　if　　the　Socialistic　programme　be　carried　out　with　the　least　　fulness；　we　shall　have　lost　a　thing；　in　most　respects　not　　much　to　be　regretted；　but　as　a　moderator　of　oppression；　a　　thing　nearly　invaluable　…　the　newspaper。　　For　the　independent　　journal　is　a　creature　of　capital　and　competition；　it　stands　　and　falls　with　millionaires　and　railway　bonds　and　all　the　　abuses　and　glories　of　to…day；　and　as　soon　as　the　State　has　　fairly　taken　its　bent　to　authority　and　philanthropy；　and　laid　　the　least　touch　on　private　property；　the　days　of　the　　independent　journal　are　numbered。　　State　railways　may　be　good　　things　and　so　may　State　bakeries；　but　a　State　newspaper　will　　never　be　a　very　trenchant　critic　of　the　State　officials。

But　again；　these　officials　would　have　no　sinecure。　　Crime　　would　perhaps　be　less；　for　some　of　the　motives　of　crime　we　　may　suppose　would　pass　away。　　But　if　Socialism　were　carried　　out　with　any　fulness；　there　would　be　more　contraventions。　　We　　see　already　new　sins　ringing　up　like　mustard　…　School　Board　　sins；　factory　sins；　Merchant　Shipping　Act　sins　…　none　of　　which　I　would　be　thought　to　except　against　in　particular；　but　　all　of　which；　taken　together；　show　us　that　Socialism　can　be　a　　hard　master　even　in　the　beginning。　　If　it　go　on　to　such　　heights　as　we　hear　proposed　and　lauded；　if　it　come　actually　　to　its　ideal　of　the　ant…heap；　ruled　with　iron　justice；　the　　number　of　new　contraventions　will　be　out　of　all　proportion　　multiplied。　　Take　the　case　of　work　alone。　　Man　is　an　idle　　animal。　　He　is　at　least　as　intelligent　as　the　ant；　but　　generations　of　advisers　have　in　vain　recommended　him　the　　ant's　example。　　Of　those　w